Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX-30), alongside Representatives Jared Huffman (CA-02) and Alcee L. Hastings (FL-20) introduced the COVID-19 Serving the Homeless Act by expanding the list of Tenant Eligible Residences Act of 2020, or COVID-19 SHELTER Act of 2020. The bill seeks to address housing insecurity during and after the coronavirus outbreak.
Specifically, the SHELTER Act would:
- Create an additional 200,000 Section 8 vouchers for families in need
- Create a disaster assistance voucher program with 500,000 vouchers available to
individuals who were unsheltered at the time of the COVID-19 crisis for up two years with the ability for the HUD secretary to renew the vouchers if necessary - Expand the list of eligible dwelling units currently under Section 8 to include hotel rooms, motel rooms, unrented AirBnBs, Junior Accessory Dwelling Units, and RVs